The big day is finally here. You’re ready to launch your new product and reach thousands of prospects.
Before taking this step, make sure you’re properly prepared.
Your website could crash because of a sudden increase in traffic. This will ruin the whole experience for your customers — and kill your marketing efforts.
Don’t risk a website crash! Even minor delays in its response time can affect sales, page views, and overall user experience.
To prevent all of this, it’s necessary to take precautions. You’ll need to upgrade your server and remove unnecessary plugins.
What else should you do? Read on to find out.
Will Your Website Crash?
Websites go down for a variety of reasons.
Sometimes, it happens during traffic spikes. Your site can also crash because of a DDoS attack, low bandwidth, or coding errors.
Simple mistakes, such as spilling coffee on the web server, may also cause your site to stop working. Even the weather can impact your website. In 2012, Instagram and Netflix crashed when the storm hit Virginia.
Other common reasons for a website crash include:
- Plugin errors
- Server errors
- Brute force attacks
- Limited hosting and bandwidth
- Expired domain
- Web server upgrades
- DNS problems
However, traffic spikes are often the culprit behind these issues. If one of your posts goes viral on Reddit, you can expect thousands of visitors within hours. This will cause server overload and bring your site down.
Or perhaps you’re planning to share Zac Efron workout and diet plan. You write about it on your blog, post updates on your Facebook page, and send emails to your subscribers.
When the big day arrives, gym buffs from all around the world will visit your site. You don’t want them to see a blank page, right?
Here’s what you need to do to prevent a website crash.
Test Your Site
First of all, make sure your website can handle massive traffic. Use load testing tools to see how it performs.
Conduct these tests at least one week before launching your product. Try to figure out which pages load the slowest, and do what you can to boost their speed.
Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
Content delivery networks can make your site run faster and improve user experience.
Basically, they distribute resources across multiple servers based on visitor location. This helps to reduce server overload. It also allows users to download your content easily.
It’s a perfect solution for online businesses covering a wide geographic area. If your site appeals to an international audience, you need this service.
Upgrade Your Server
If you have a blog or a small website, you’re probably using shared hosting. This means you’re sharing the same server with other users. This can slow down your site.
Consider switching to a dedicated server or VPS to prevent website crashes. Once you take this step, you’ll be better prepared to handle traffic spikes.
Additionally, your site will load faster due to the increase in bandwidth and memory.
Getting Ready for the Big Launch
Now that you know how to keep your website from crashing, get ready for the big launch!
Share the news on social media and give your fans a sneak-peek of the event.
Write press releases and post videos on YouTube to spread the word. Send one more email to your subscribers the night before launching your product.
Remember to add a strong call-to-action at the bottom of your posts and videos.
Do you have any tips on how to handle high traffic? Share them below!
